A former lorry driver who is said to have repeatedly raped and sexually abused a young boy has told a jury that he has never touched a child in his life – despite having previous convictions that prove otherwise.

Jeremy Pellow, 64, of Hillside Road in Falmouth, went on trial at Truro Crown Court on Tuesday (August 28) accused of a raft of sexual abuse charges relating to one male victim.

In total he denies seven charges of indecent assault on a male, three counts of rape, three acts of indecency with a child, three charges of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

All of the offences are said to have taken place while the defendant was living in the Falmouth and Penryn area two decades ago, when the alleged victim was aged under 16.

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Pellow confirmed that in 2008 he was sent to prison after being convicted of counts of indecency with a child, indecent assault of a male under 16 and attempted indecent assault. He was, however, acquitted of scores of other charges relating to a number of complainants.

Pellow described the prosecution’s claims that sexual activity took place in the lorry as “absolute rubbish”.

When asked about his convictions he refuted the claims.

He said: “Nothing happened whatsoever. I maintained my innocence then and will maintain my innocence to the day I die.

“I have never touched a child in my life. This is a vendetta to get at me.”

When asked how he felt when the latest allegations for which he is standing trial emerged, Pellow replied “gutted”.

He added: “I was absolutely gobsmacked. I couldn’t believe what he was accusing me of.”

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He was also quizzed by defence barrister Julia Cox about the victim describing an anchor tattoo on his penis, Pellow saying that he got it in 1975 while serving in Hong Kong and that it was common knowledge but he never showed anybody.

When asked again if he ever performed any sexual acts on the boy, or if he made the boy perform acts on him, Pellow said “none whatsoever, no such events ever took place”.

The jury was also told how the complainant has in the past suffered problems with drug and alcohol use and was expelled from school on numerous occasions.